⊙---Ascendant Player

Darkness swallowed everything.

Kael's consciousness drifted, untethered, weightless. The last thing he remembered was the monotonous drone of his professor's lecture, his eyes heavy with boredom.

Now, that world was gone, replaced by a void so vast it pressed against him, suffocating in its silence.

Then, a voice—deep, resonant, ancient—echoed through the void.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

New Ascendant Identified.

Player detected… Processing Ascendant Condition…

Rebirth process initiated... Soul recalibration in progress...

Ascendant: Kael.

Potential: Untapped.

Compatibility: Unmeasured.

Processing...

The words reverberated through the abyss, vast and omnipotent, as if spoken by a god.

Kael's thoughts were sluggish, his mind swimming through layers of fog. He tried to move—failed. A sharp chill spread through him, cold tendrils weaving into his very essence.

"What… what is this?" he whispered, his voice swallowed by the void.

No breath. No heartbeat. Just existence, suspended in the abyss.

Ascendant Player: Confirmed.

Strong Desires for Second Life—Confirmed.Conditions Met—Ascension System Unlocked

Matching Player with System Guide.

Accessing Database...

Second life?

A realization clawed its way through Kael's confusion.

Death? Was he… dead?

The memories returned in fragments—the classroom, the professor's droning voice, the sudden dizziness, the pressure in his chest. The world fading to black.

And now, this.

"What… Ascension System? The MMORPG?" His voice trembled, teetering between disbelief and desperate hope.

Match Found. Assigning Guide to ASCENDANT PLAYER.

Light ignited in the void, weaving intricate, pulsing patterns. Kael watched, entranced, as the luminous threads coalesced into a figure.

It had no face—just a smooth, featureless expanse where one should have been. Its body shimmered, pure light sculpted into humanoid form.

"Welcome, Ascendant Player Kael Relan."

Its voice was calm, melodic, yet carried an undeniable authority.

Kael's mind reeled. "Where am I? What is this?"

The entity tilted its head slightly, as if amused. "You stand at the precipice of rebirth. The life you knew is over. The Ascension System has chosen you, granting you a chance to rewrite your destiny."

Kael swallowed hard. "Rewrite… my destiny? But why me? I'm no one. I'm—"

"—weak?" The entity's tone was sharp, yet not unkind. "Your past may have been frail, but your will is strong. Strong enough to awaken the Rebirth Core."

Then—agony. White-hot pain lanced through him, as if his very soul was being unraveled and rewoven. He wanted to scream, but there was no mouth, no air. Only searing pain.

Rebirth Core detected.

Classifying...

Initializing Ascension Protocol.

Rebirth Core Activated.

A surge of energy ripped through Kael, forcing him to his knees. Images flashed through his mind—moments from a life spent on the sidelines. Watching from behind a fence as children played. Endless hours trapped in a body that refused to cooperate. Quiet nights of despair, whispering wishes to a world that never answered.

But then—something new.

A vision of himself, cloaked in shadow and light, standing unyielding, power radiating from his form. His eyes, no longer dull, burned with determination. Deep crimson, like molten rubies.

The vision shattered, leaving Kael breathless.

"What… was that?" he rasped.

"Your potential," the entity said simply. "The Rebirth Core has granted you a chance to become what you've always desired—a being of strength, capable of shaping your own fate."

Kael staggered to his feet, his body trembling. "And if I fail?"

The entity's form leaned closer, voice dropping to a near-whisper. "Then you die. Permanently."

The void twisted, the pulsing light expanding, forming something new. A landscape emerged—barren plains stretching beneath a sky of swirling violet and gold. In the distance, jagged mountains clawed the heavens.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

Welcome to Erendath!Tutorial Quest: Prove Your Worth.

Objective: Survive.

A low growl echoed across the plain, sending a shiver down Kael's spine. He turned, his breath catching in his throat. Emerging from the shadows was a creature unlike anything he had ever seen.

It was massive, its body covered in scales that glistened like obsidian. Its eyes burned with a malevolent red light, and its claws looked sharp enough to rend steel.

[Darkspawn—Level 2]

Entering battle mode.

Kael's stomach dropped. "Level 2? What about me?!"

The Entity's voice echoed in his mind. "You are Level 1. You have no weapons, no skills, and no experience. Your survival depends entirely on your wits and determination."

A translucent system screen appeared in his peripheral vision, displaying his dismal stats in stark clarity.

Player Level: 1.

No weapons.

No skills.

No experience.

STR: 5 | AGI: 5 | WIL: 5 | END: 5 | INT: 5 | CHA: 5 | LCK: 5

The Darkspawn roared, the sound shaking the ground beneath Kael's feet. It charged, its massive form barreling toward him with terrifying speed.

Panic surged through Kael, but he forced it down. 

Think, Kael. Think! 

He scanned the plain, searching for anything he could use. His eyes landed on a pointed broken rock jutting out of the ground a few feet away.

[Equipped Weapon: Jagged Rock (Lv1)]

Without hesitation, he sprinted toward it, the Darkspawn creature hot on his heels. He could feel its breath on his back, its claws grazing the air just behind him.

At the last second, Kael dove to the side, grabbing the rock as he rolled. The beast slammed into the ground where he had been standing, its momentum carrying it past him.

Kael scrambled to his feet, gripping the rock tightly. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

The Darkspawn turned, its eyes locking onto him with newborn fury. Kael's heart pounded as he raised the pointed rock, his hands trembling.

"I'm not dying here," he muttered, more to himself than the beast. "Not now. Not ever."

The Darkspawn roared again, charging once more. Kael stood his ground, waiting until the last possible moment. Then, with all the strength he could muster, he swung the rock.

The makeshift weapon connected with the beast's jaw, a sickening crack sounding through the air. The creature stumbled, dazed but not defeated.

Kael didn't give it a chance to recover. He lunged forward, gripping the rock tightly as he brought it down on its head again and again.

Black, viscous blood splattered across his face and clothes, the stench sharp and metallic. Each strike landed with a sickening thud, driven by a volatile mix of fear, fury, and survival instinct.

Finally, the beast collapsed, its body motionless.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

Darkspawn Defeated

All stats increase by 1

Beginner's Luck Chest (Lv1)

EXP +200

SP +2

Dark Essence x 3

Coins: 250

Kael dropped the bloody rock, his chest heaving. He stared at the beast's deformed and lifeless form, a mixture of disbelief and exhilaration washing over him.

The Entity's voice returned, calm and measured.

"Well done, Ascendant Kael. You have proven your worth."

Kael sank to his knees, exhaustion overtaking him. But beneath the fatigue, a spark of something new had taken root—hope.

A stream bubbled nearby, its clear waters glinting in the soft light. Kael stumbled toward it, his body heavy with exhaustion.

Kneeling at the edge, he plunged his hands into the cool current, scrubbing away the dark blood and foul stench clinging to his skin.

As he leaned closer, the rippling water stilled, revealing his reflection. He froze. Is this… me? The thought whispered in his mind, laced with disbelief.

The face staring back was unfamiliar. A striking youth gazed at him—shoulder-length dark hair cascading in soft, wavy ends, a jawline so sharp and defined it seemed sculpted by divine hands. But what shocked him most were his eyes.

They glowed a deep, vivid red, gleaming like twin rubies beneath the surface of the stream.

Just as he felt the weight of exhaustion bear down on him, a new notification chimed, signaling a breakthrough. He had leveled up.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

Level Up: Level 2 Achieved

All stats increase by 1

SP +2

STR: 8 | AGI: 8 | WIL: 8 | END: 8 | INT: 8 | CHA: 8 | LCK: 8

Power surged through Kael's veins.

He wasn't the same man who had drifted into the void.

He was something more.

And the world of Erendath would soon know it.